Little Megabytes
by Janis B
Summary: A young computer Wiz gets herself in a lot of trouble that Syd and Gage have to help get her out of.


Disclaimer: This was written for the soul purpose of my entertainment.  
  
I lay no claim on Walker Texas Ranger or any of its characters.  
  
~Little Megabytes~  
  
By: Janis  
  
Chapter 1  
  
"Ranger Cooke, Ranger Gage, I've been waiting for you."  
  
Gage groaned, "Can't we just get back in the car and drive off, pretend like we didn't hear her."  
  
"Cut it out Gage," Syd looked sternly at him, "Mrs. McMurtrie," Syd smiled and waved.  
  
Mrs. McMurtrie was a petite gray haired woman in her early sixties. She fancied herself an amateur detective, she was known to the rest of the tenants as the building's busybody. She was forever knocking on Syd and Gage's door at all hours sure she had seen something suspicious going on or that there was a stranger in the neighbourhood.  
  
"I've been watching out my window for you to come home," she called coming over to them as fast as her legs would carry her.  
  
"I bet you have," said Gage loud enough for only Syd to hear as he came around the car and stood behind her.  
  
She gave him a sharp jab with her elbow to his ribs, silencing him.  
  
"What do you need us for?" Syd asked.  
  
"My granddaughter is here I'd like you to meet her," Mrs. McMurtrie told them. Leaning closer to Sydney she whispered to her, "She needs your help."  
  
"With what?" Gage very sceptically asked.  
  
"I'll let her explain that to you," Mrs McMurtrie replied becoming very secretive about everything.  
  
The partners followed the elderly lady to her apartment, she opened the door wide and they walked into the living room.  
  
"Can I get you a cup of tea?" Kathleen McMurtrie was asking them.  
  
"Another time perhaps we actually are in a bit of a hurry we have a few things to go over for work tomorrow," Sydney told her trying to move things along.  
  
"Of course you do, just a moment and I'll get Annabelle," she said as she slipped down the hallway.  
  
"Syd how does she always rope you into these things?"  
  
"Gage give her a break she's just lonely."  
  
There wasn't time to say anything more Mrs. McMurtrie and Annabelle were joining them. Annabelle was a skinny, little twelve year old, who wore glasses that looked two sizes too big for her face. Her carrot red hair was tightly braided in two braids that hung down over her shoulders.  
  
"This is my Granddaughter…"  
  
"Annabelle Elizabeth Dawson McMurtrie," she cut in, "I get my red hair from my mother and my tenacity from my paternal Grandmother. Are you really Rangers or is Gram exaggerating again?"  
  
It took Sydney a minute to find her voice, "Yes we are Rangers," she managed to get out, "You had something to discuss with us?"  
  
"Yes I do," she curtly replied sitting down and opening the laptop she had been carrying with her. "Gram told me I was spending too much time on my computer today and she sent me outside for some fresh air. I walked down to the park over by where the trees are. There were three guys they were doing some kind of deal they were trading suitcases. One guy wasn't happy he had a gun he kept waving around in the other guy's face. "  
  
"What was in the suitcases?" Gage asked not totally believing the tale Annabelle was telling.  
  
"I couldn't see from where I was hiding," she said looking right at Gage, "The one with the gun all of a sudden got real mad and shot one of the other ones. When they were leaving the one of them saw me and screamed at the other guy and they started to run after me. I took off running and lost them before I came back here. I went right to work when I got back," saying that she turned her laptop around so everyone could see the picture she had put together.  
  
"His name is Russo Carpal and he's a known drug dealer with numerous arrests but he always gets off."  
  
Both Syd and Gage recognized Carpal; the question was how did Annabelle know so much about him. By now Annabelle had the arrest sheet and an actual picture of Russo coming up on her screen.  
  
"Annabelle where did you get that information from?" Sydney was asking her.  
  
"The police database, I thought it would speed things up if I had all the information for you."  
  
"Just how did you get information from the police database?" Gage asked having heard Trivette brag on several occasions how secure the police database was. Heck he had a password and didn't always get in on the first try.  
  
"That's easy to get into, not really much of a challenge at all, it's not like I'm looking at pentagon stuff. What about the dead guy in the woods?"  
  
Gage looked at Syd and Syd looked at Gage finally Sydney asked, "Can you show us exactly where Annabelle?"  
  
Together they all went to the park, Annabelle pointed out the exact spot while the Rangers checked it out. Sure enough the body was there, it was Pete Degaro, a small time distributor who was unsuccessfully trying to make it big. Gage called it in while Syd went over to talk to Annabelle and her grandmother.  
  
"Why didn't you call this in immediately?" she was asking Mrs. McMurtrie.  
  
"We did dear, we told you as soon as we saw you. We know how these things work, I knew that you and Ranger Gage would take us seriously," she stated to Syd.  
  
"Got it," shouted Annabelle who had been sitting quietly in the backseat of the car with her computer, "this is the second guy did you want me to run his picture too?"  
  
"Let's just wait until Ranger Trivette gets here okay," Syd said trying to hold back the over zealous child.  
  
Walking back over to Gage Syd whispered to him, "Did you see who the last one was?"  
  
"Yeah Turk Almara, this is big time Syd."  
  
"I know and they saw her, they chased her."  
  
Before Gage had time to respond Walker's familiar silver ram pulled up beside their car.  
  
"Where's the computer whiz?" asked Trivette as he and Walker came walking over to them.  
  
"In the backseat of the car," Gage motioned as he spoke.  
  
Trivette looked over, "There's nobody but a little kid in the backseat of the car."  
  
"Yeah that's her," Gage smiled.  
  
"Huh?" Trivette took another look at the little redhead, then back to Gage and Sydney.  
  
"Yeah Trivette she got right into that fool proof secure police database and pulled up Carpal's complete rap sheet, picture and all," Sydney confirmed.  
  
"After all she wasn't looking at pentagon stuff," Gage added quoting Annabelle.  
  
Trivette stared a few seconds more digesting the information and looking at the two of them he demanded an introduction.  
  
"Trivette why don't you take Annabelle and her Grandmother back to their place to investigate this further. We'll finish up here and go pick up Carpal and Almara," Walker told him a wide smile on his face too.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Syd and Gage met Walker outside club 'Por Chance' it was owned by Roberto Delmarc. Russo Carpal, and Turk Almara both were fairly high up in Delmarc's organization. His business included a little bit of everything but the mainstream of things was trafficking drugs.  
  
Walker let Syd and Gage go in first, as luck would have it both suspects were sitting with their boss. It looked as if Delmarc was not very happy he was speaking loudly to both underlings.  
  
Taking the lead Gage walked over to the table Syd right behind him, "Excuse me," he began, "but I was told I could find a Russo Carpal and Turk Almara sitting over here."  
  
"Why are you looking for them?" demanded Delmarc.  
  
"To take them in for the murder of Pete Degaro," Gage had hardly finished saying as Turk swung at him.  
  
"Stop, Texas Rangers," Syd shouted executing a kick to Carpal's chest as he tried to run past her.  
  
By now three or four bodyguards had entered the fight as well as Walker. Syd had Carpal face down on the floor, her knee in his back putting the cuffs on him when one of the assailants grabbed her from behind by the throat. One of the attacker's beefy hands was big enough to squeeze the life out of her. Syd clawed wildly at the huge man trying to escape his grasp while the room began to swim around her and become black.  
  
Gage had just finished taking his second opponent to the floor when he caught sight of Syd. He spun around hitting the man choking her squarely in the face with one hard kick. It was enough to break the hold he had on Syd's throat, she fell forward unconscious across Carpal.  
  
The giant now turned all his fury on Gage making a run at him grabbing him in a bear hug pinning his arms at the same time. He had virtually no fighting skills, his size and strength were his only weapons and he was using them against Gage.  
  
Pulling back as far as he could Gage brought his head forward butting it hard against the man. He struck him in the same spot as the initial blow making this enough for him to loosen his grasp on Gage. Walker came flying out of nowhere with one more hard kick to the head, the attacker went sprawling on the floor out for the count.  
  
Gasping for air Gage moved for his partner who was just beginning to stir. He lifted her into his arms letting his head rest against hers.  
  
"Take it easy Syd," Gage got out still trying to get his breath.  
  
"What happened?" she hoarsely squeaked out feeling an intense burning in her throat.  
  
"I saved your life that's all," Gage smiled.  
  
"Thanks," she whispered closing her eyes, turning into Gage's chest for a moment more, still attempting to get her bearings.  
  
"You're welcome," he whispered back, gently stroking her hair.  
  
"You two all right?" Walker was asking them.  
  
"I'm fine but I think we should get Syd checked out."  
  
"I'm all right Gage," began the protests, "Help me up."  
  
"Well there is nothing wrong with her ears," Walker smiled as Gage helped her to sit up.  
  
"Walker," Delmarc was yelling across the room, "Who the hell is going to pay for this mess. I'm tired of your harassment, you are going to start paying for this and in a big way."  
  
Walking over to where Delmarc stood Walker quietly informed him that, "If you want me out of your face anytime soon you'll turn yourself in and confess."  
  
Delmarc began laughing, his people joining into the laughter as well.  
  
"We'll see who gets the last laugh," Walker again quietly spoke before turning and walking away.  
  
**********  
  
The interrogation of Carpal and Almara did not last long; Sydney and Gage couldn't have spent more then fifteen minutes with Carpal when one of Delmarc's lawyers showed up. After spending a couple of minutes alone with his clients to confer both Carpal and Almara shut up refusing to answer any questions.  
  
An hour later they went to join Walker in the office, telling him that neither was giving a statement. Alex was there she had spoken to Jimmy, he and Annabelle had her statement typed up and emailed over to Alex. It was set up for the following morning that she would come in and positively identify the two suspects from a line up.  
  
"With Annabelle's statement there should be no trouble with the charges sticking," Alex told them confidently.  
  
"Trivette is waiting for you two to get home before he takes off," Walker told them, "so unless there is anything else we'll see you tomorrow."  
  
**********  
  
Gage glanced over at Syd as he slid behind the steering wheel. She pulled the collar of her coat up hiding her neck. He had reluctantly given into her earlier and she knew it, now all she wanted to do was go home, climb into bed and hope he didn't bring it up.  
  
"Since it's late how bout some takeout tonight?" Gage asked.  
  
"What ever you want to do is fine with me," she replied thinking she was too tired to fix the steaks that were waiting at home in the fridge any way. A romantic evening with the guy you love is highly over rated she though as she sighed.  
  
"What do you feel like having?"  
  
"I'm sorry Gage what did you say I wasn't paying attention."  
  
"I was wondering what you felt like eating," he repeated beginning to worry about her a bit.  
  
Catching his expression she quickly began talking, "You were actually the one who was taking my mind off the conversation. I was thinking about how the romantic evening I had planned kind of got sidelined."  
  
Appeased by her explanation he smiled and took her hand at the same time saying, "Let's just order in when we get there."  
  
Trivette was waiting for them when they got back. He couldn't stop talking about Annabelle and her computer skills.  
  
"I think I was able to impress upon her the fact that even though she can hack into things that the practice is going to get her into big trouble," he stated before saying good night.  
  
They both grinned at Trivette as they watched him leave.  
  
"Nice we found someone on his level for him to talk to," Gage laughed putting his arm around Syd and pulling her close. He neck was bothering her and she flinched a little. "When are you going to take the jacket off so he could see how bad your neck is," he asked without looking down at her.  
  
"Never if you are going to pester me about it," she stated.  
  
Gage raised his hands to either side of the jacket and pulled it back revealing the thug's whole handprint on her neck.  
  
"Hurt much?"  
  
"What do you think," she snapped back ready for an argument.  
  
"That it's time for you to have a nice soak in the tub and get into bed. I'll bring supper into you when it gets here," he told her leaning down and kissing her.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
It was still dark and the phone was ringing, Syd felt like she had just closed her eyes in reality it was two-ten in the morning.  
  
"Gage get the phone," she nudged him as she spoke.  
  
Automatically Gage reached over her picking it up, "Hello."  
  
"Ranger Gage, it's Annabelle someone is trying to break in."  
  
Gage was fully awake now and reaching for his jeans, "I'll be right there," he told her dropping the receiver.  
  
"Right where? What's going on?" asked his partner reaching for her clothes too.  
  
"Someone is trying to get in downstairs."  
  
Cautiously both partners moved towards Kathleen McMurtrie's apartment. They could see where someone had used a glasscutter to cut a hole in the patio doors so they could insert their hand to open the lock.  
  
Gage pulled the door open and stepped inside Sydney right behind him when suddenly they heard Annabelle scream. Rushing towards the scream and pushing through the door they found the child to be in the grasps of two men. One had swung her under his arm clamping his hand over her mouth. The other one was outside the bedroom window. The one holding Annabelle was going to hand her off to the one outside when Gage came through the door.  
  
The accomplice who was outside took off running leaving his partner holding the tiny figure.  
  
"Stop right there," Gage shouted aiming his gun at the man as he stopped dead in his tracks. "Now nice and easy set her down."  
  
As her feet hit the floor she ran behind Gage.  
  
"Okay Anna B?" Gage asked.  
  
She shook her head yes and then defiantly told him, "My name is Annabelle."  
  
Turning back to the perpetrator Gage ordered him face down on the floor.  
  
Syd had raced back outside to try and catch the second kidnapper. She had been in time to see him climb into a dark coloured van and take off.  
  
Mrs. McMurtrie was holding her granddaughter and Gage was cuffing the suspect when Syd came back in.  
  
"Syd why don't you take Anna B and her Grandmother to our place and get them settled for the rest of the night while I wait for forensics to get here.  
  
Annabelle once again glared at him for using the short version of her name that he had made up.  
  
Smiling at Gage Syd ushered the child and her grandmother upstairs to their apartment. Once they were settled in she went back downstairs where Gage was talking with Walker and Trivette.  
  
"The place out in the country," Gage was saying to Walker as she approached them.  
  
"That was the place I had in mind," Walker agreed.  
  
"In mind for what?" Syd asked coming in late on the conversation.  
  
"Safe house for you and I to take Anna B and her Grandmother to. We head out first thing in the morning as soon as she identifies the suspects in the line up," Gage smiled as he informed her.  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Annabelle was all ready sitting at the computer as Syd headed to the kitchen to put the coffee on. Mrs. McMurtrie was all ready in the kitchen, coffee ready and bacon cooking.  
  
"Oh Ranger Cooke, I hope you don't mind me taking over your kitchen?" she asked. Then in the same breath without waiting for an answer she asked, "And how many eggs would Ranger Gage like?"  
  
"Mrs. McMurtrie," Syd began.  
  
"Please call me Kathleen, dear."  
  
"All right, if you call me Sydney, Kathleen you really didn't have to go to all this trouble."  
  
"No trouble at all dear."  
  
Sydney poured coffee for herself and Gage, then headed back to the bedroom. Gage was still sleeping; Sydney set the coffee down and sat down beside him. She leaned over him wrapping her arms around his neck letting her lips brush across his. The corner of his lips curled up into a smile and his arms went around her pulling her down on top of him.  
  
"Morning Syd," he whispered as he kissed her.  
  
"You have to get up Gage, Kathleen has your breakfast almost ready," she kissed him again.  
  
"Kathleen who?" he asked flipping them over so that he was on top of her, his hand moving up her leg.  
  
Suddenly the door flew open and Kathleen announced breakfast was ready. Both Rangers froze where they were. Turning on her heel she sang out, "Hurry up now or it will be cold."  
  
Gage put his head down on Syd's shoulder and both of them began to laugh.  
  
**********  
  
Annabelle easily picked out the two suspects from the line up. Now she and her Grandmother sat quietly while Walker and Trivette conferred with Sydney and Gage.  
  
"Keep a close eye on Annabelle," Walker was saying, "Delmarc has all ready made an attempt on her life once, that means that Almara and Carpal must be pretty important to him. Check in when you get there."  
  
"We will," Sydney assured him.  
  
Kathleen chatted non-stop during the drive while her granddaughter sat quietly her eyes never leaving the screen of her laptop computer. A couple of hours away from Dallas Gage pulled the car into a quiet little lane way out in the country.  
  
"This is so nice here," Kathleen, commented, "I'm not going to want to go back to the city."  
  
"It is nice," Sydney agreed.  
  
Annabelle got out of the car hardly looking up from her computer and parked herself on the steps of the front porch. Her fingers began tapping once again.  
  
All three grownups eyed the little girl, but it was Gage who walked over and sat down beside her.  
  
"Watcha doing Anna B?" he asked.  
  
"I don't think you'd understand you can't even get my name right," retorted the little girl.  
  
"You know what?" There was no response so Gage answered his own question. "I had this same argument with Ranger Cooke the very day I met her. Her name is Sydney you know but I took one look at her and knew she looked like a Syd not a Sydney. We fought over it all right, she hated me calling her Syd but she finally gave it a chance and it kind of grew on her. Now she is one of my best friends in the whole world. Sorry but you just don't look like an Annabelle to me, you'll always be an Anna B."  
  
She rolled her eyes at Gage silently telling him to get real. "Maybe if I get things figured out I'll show you later," she told him snapping the lid shut, getting up and walking to the far end of the porch.  
  
"You have such a way with women Gage," Syd told him as she walked past him, "Don't come in empty handed there are still plenty of groceries in the car."  
  
"Worked on you," he threw back at her.  
  
"Groceries Gage."  
  
Gage went back to the car and Syd loaded his arms down with bags and boxes. Anna B watched him from where she sat on the porch. He leaned down and said something to Ranger Cooke and she laughed slapping his shoulder at the same time. Annabelle rolled her eyes again, thinking out loud, "he's just never serious. How did he ever get to be a Ranger?" She knew there was only one way to find that out and opened her laptop again.  
  
**********  
  
"Lunch is ready," Kathleen yelled out at her granddaughter. There was no response, Kathleen sighed, "that girl gets into that computer and shuts out everything else."  
  
She was just about to go and herd her in to eat when Syd stopped her saying, "I'll get her." Walking out the side door Syd came up behind Annabelle, who was so engrossed in what she was reading she didn't notice Syd look over her shoulder at her computer screen.  
  
"You know," Syd started as the little girl slammed her laptop closed, "I have clearance for those files and I've still never read them. I preferred to get to know Ranger Gage on my own."  
  
"I was just trying to find out how he got to be a Ranger," Anna B tried to defend herself. "You aren't going to tell him are you?"  
  
"No you are going to tell him," Syd told her, "If you wanted to know how he became a Ranger, why didn't you just ask him?"  
  
"Ask who what?" Gage stood there smiling at the two of them.  
  
"Annabelle has something to talk to you about, we'll wait lunch for you," Syd said walking back in the house.  
  
Gage took a seat in front of the little girl waiting for her to speak. Looking down at her shoes she blurted out, "I broke into your file at Ranger headquarters."  
  
Gage still sat there looking at her so she continued, "I wanted to know how you ever got to be a Ranger."  
  
Still Gage sat there as she squirmed in her seat waiting for him to say something, after a few minutes more he did.  
  
"I thought we could be friends Annabelle," he flatly stated.  
  
"I want that too," she replied noticing he hadn't called her Anna B.  
  
"I don't know a friend wouldn't go through another friend's private and personal files. I've never looked at anything on your computer you haven't invited me to see."  
  
"I'm sorry Ranger Gage, I just wanted to know you better," she cried.  
  
"The only way to really get to know someone is to spend time with them, would you be interested in doing that?" he asked her.  
  
She thought about it for a minute then slowly nodded her head yes.  
  
"Good cause I was going fishing this afternoon and you can come along."  
  
Her mouth dropped open and her eyes grew wide at the prospect of having to go fishing. Before she could refuse Gage added, "I'm sure Ranger Cooke won't mind if you come along instead of her. She does like to put the worms on the hook but if you are going to be there I know you'll want to do that."  
  
Annabelle's mouth dropped open again even wider at the very thought of touching a worm, let alone putting one on a fishing hook.  
  
Standing up Gage put his arm around Anna B and smiling said to her, "Lets go get some lunch."  
  
"Everything all right with you two?" Syd asked as they came in the door.  
  
"I hope you don't mind Syd but Anna B is going fishing with me this afternoon," Gage announced. Then raising his eyebrow as he would when he wanted Syd to play along during an interrogation he asked her, "I hope you don't mind but she has volunteered to bait my hook for me."  
  
Syd began to pout, then quickly changing to a smile told him it was fine with her if they brought back enough fish for supper.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Kathleen stood with Sydney as they watched Gage and Annabelle head down the trail towards the river.  
  
"I wish I had a video camera to capture this moment, her parents aren't going to believe this," Kathleen chuckled watching her granddaughter walking behind Gage fishing pole over her shoulder. "It's too bad her own father wouldn't take half as much interest in her as Ranger Gage."  
  
"She doesn't get much attention from her parents?" Syd questioned.  
  
"There answer to attention is another computer program," sighed Kathleen turning to go and clean up the kitchen.  
  
Sydney pulled out her phone and called Trivette to tell him that they had arrived safely and some more of the computer security needed attention.  
  
"Man she is good," commented Trivette before hanging up.  
  
Smiling to herself over the comment she headed for the kitchen to help Kathleen finish up. Kathleen was looking out the window at the sink not moving.  
  
"There is someone out there," she whispered to Sydney.  
  
Going to her side Syd peered out the window to see someone moving behind the car, she quickly drew her gun.  
  
"We have to get to Gage and Anna B," she whispered pulling Kathleen towards the back door. Looking out she could see no one in sight; grabbing hold of Kathleen's arm they made a run for the woods.  
  
**********  
  
"I got one, I got one," Anna B was shouting excitedly to Gage as she watched her fishing line dance wildly in the water.  
  
Gage went to her side to help her reel it in.  
  
"Now careful," he cautioned her, "we don't want it to get away."  
  
They just had the flopping fish on shore when Sydney and Kathleen appeared.  
  
"You guys didn't have to come all the way down here…"  
  
Syd cut him off, "Gage we got company," she told him helping the elder woman to sit down and catch her breath.  
  
"Did they follow you?"  
  
"I don't think so but they still have to be looking for us by now," she declared.  
  
Quickly Gage and Syd had everything gathered up and everyone on the move.  
  
They began following the river downstream trying to put space between them and Delmarc's people. Sydney was in the lead, followed by Kathleen, Anna B and Gage.  
  
"Hold up a minute," Gage called to Syd noticing that Kathleen was tiring.  
  
"Don't worry about me I'm not going to hold us back," Kathleen insisted knowing that Ranger Gage was concerned for her.  
  
Annabelle who had been silent since her Grandma and Sydney came running to the clearing where they were fishing now ran to Kathleen, tears streaming down her cheeks.  
  
"Gram I'm sorry," she cried. She was still speaking but she was crying so hard no one could understand her now.  
  
Finally Gage knelt down beside her, "Anna B we can't understand you through the tears. Take a deep breath," he waited while she did, "now what are you trying to say?"  
  
"Ranger Gage you are going to be so mad at me," she couldn't even look at him as she spoke.  
  
"Anna B what are you talking about?" Gage asked eying her suspiciously.  
  
"That place 'Por Chance' where you busted Carpal and Almara, well they have a website… and well I sort of sent Roberto Delmarc a few messages."  
  
"A few messages?" Gage asked, "What sort of messages? Tell me exactly what the messages said."  
  
"That he and all his friends were going down cause my friends the Rangers were going to put them in jail where they belong. That was one of the messages, I don't know if I can remember them all."  
  
Gage looked from Annabelle to Sydney and back to Annabelle, getting the general gist of what she had done.  
  
"I was careful they were all routed through at least three email addresses with dozens of names."  
  
"No wonder they found us," Syd said she had come to stand behind him as he spoke to Anna B. "We'd better keep moving."  
  
Sydney helped Kathleen to her feet and they started out again, Anna B walked along with Gage.  
  
"You're mad I knew you were going to be," the child persisted.  
  
"Not so much mad as exasperated," replied Gage. "What did you hope to accomplish?"  
  
"I was just trying to get even for them trying to kidnap me last night," she pouted.  
  
They rounded a bend in the river coming in view of the bridge where the road crossed it. Up on the bridge they could see a SUV stopped and two men standing at the rail looking down. A third had all ready come down the embankment to the river, no doubt looking for them. Still a forth man emerged from the vehicle, Sydney shivered when she saw him, it was the big man from 'Por Chance' who had almost choked the life from her.  
  
Gage caught sight of him the same time as Syd, moving up behind her he instructed her, "Don't let him get his arms around you."  
  
The other two were making there way down to the riverbank to join the first one leaving the big man at the top. Both Rangers knew they would have to get to these three before they got to them. A large tree had fallen; Syd motioned Kathleen and Annabelle behind it  
  
"Stay down no matter what happens," Syd commanded.  
  
Gage had all ready circled around behind the point man putting him in a chokehold and bringing him to the ground. Syd circled one way while Gage the other almost at the same time each mounted an attack taking their opponents to the ground until a voice shouted out to them.  
  
"You people are good just not good enough."  
  
The partners looked up at the same time to see the men who had been following them holding guns on Anna B and Kathleen. Gage and Sydney had no choice but to be taken prisoners as well.  
  
"Now lets say we all climb up to the SUV so we can get back to where you are staying and Little Miss Computer Whiz can get back our books for us."  
  
Gage shot a glance at Anna B; the little girl was cowering behind her Grandmother, trying to decide if she was safer with Gage or Delmarc's people.  
  
"Lets get moving people," the one in charge ordered as they moved towards the bridge.  
  
**********  
  
Once back at the house Annabelle was sat in a chair at the kitchen table her laptop in front of her.  
  
"Mr Delmarc wants you to undo what ever it is you did to our computer systems and restore his books."  
  
"What if I can't?"  
  
"Then it isn't going to go very well for your friends here, starting with Ranger Gage," that being said two of them grabbed Gage from behind while a third drove his fist into his stomach. Gage sagged forward the wind being knocked out of him.  
  
"Then Ranger Cooke and then your Grandmother."  
  
Annabelle opened her laptop and began furiously tapping on the keys, "I should be able to get your books back but I can't send them back to your system it has a bad virus," she began to explain, as a warning came across her screen stating access denied. "This may take a while the security code to where I hide the files has been changed."  
  
"I don't care what it takes kid you get those books back," he told her pushing a gun in her Grandmother's face to drive the point home.  
  
Again Anna B began working at her computer.  
  
**********  
  
Walker and Trivette had flown over the house where everyone had been forced inside. A little over an hour ago Trivette had received an emergency message from Annabelle McMurtrie pleading for help. As they flew over Walker began radioing the sheriff and state troopers he had them meet at a point about a mile away. Walker and Trivette had proceeded on foot while the escape routes were cut off.  
  
Nearing the house the senior partners began to systematically take out the sentries, until they were able to climb the stairs to the front porch. Looking in the window Walker easily sized up the situation and motioned Trivette around the back.  
  
Trivette came in through the back door the same time as Walker came through the front. The surprise attack was enough of a diversion for Syd and Gage to jump into action.  
  
Suddenly Gage was faced with the bear like man that had attacked them the day before. He made a run at Gage trying to grab him in a hold like he had before. Gage easily sidestepped him spinning to deliver a kick to his head. The huge attacker shook his head as Gage delivered another blow. The man staggered as Sydney jumped to a table using a lamp to deliver the final blow to bring him down.  
  
With everyone being overpowered now the sheriff's men easily began putting Delmarc's people into cars for transport.  
  
"Everyone accounted for?" Gage was asking.  
  
Sydney had come to stand beside him; she nudged his shoulder motioning her head towards the kitchen table where Kathleen was trying to coax her terrified Granddaughter from beneath it. Gage gave Syd a smile and walked over to Kathleen he touched her shoulder and helped her up. Kneeling down he extended his hand to the little girl.  
  
"Are you coming out from there?" he asked her.  
  
She didn't move so he continued, "It's safe Anna B, everyone is safe now."  
  
She put her little hand in Gage's hand and he lifted her into his arms. She threw her little arms around Gage's neck hanging on tightly, cementing their friendship for life.  
  
**********  
  
Returning to Dallas Walker and Trivette along with Sydney and Gage went directly to Delmarc's home. After a small struggle Roberto Delmarc and his associates were taken into custody.  
  
With Annabelle's testimony and the records that had been sent to Ranger Headquarters Delmarc's fate was sealed.  
  
Chapter 6  
  
The alarm was going off, Gage pulled Sydney a little closer kissing her neck at the same time.  
  
"Gage the alarm, work, remember?"  
  
He reached for the alarm as she slipped from his arms to head for the kitchen to make the coffee. As she passed the computer it spoke to her saying, "Syd mail for Gage."  
  
She heard the shower start and went about making breakfast for them. Like a magnet the smell of the coffee brought Gage to the kitchen.  
  
"You've got mail Honey," Syd smiled as she handed him a cup and he kissed her. Turning he walked over to the computer and clicked the mail icon.  
  
They both laughed as a picture of Anna B holding her fishing pole and a huge fish began to materialize.  
  
Underneath was printed 'To my fishing buddy Gage; this is the one that didn't get away.'  
  
The End 


End file.
